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A man who operated a guesthouse in Yuen Long was convicted and fined $6,000 today (November 23) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (HAGAO).
The Tuen Mun Magistrates' Court heard that staff of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a premises on Yuen Long Main Road in August this year. Several signboards bearing the name of the guesthouse and 17 rooms were found on the spot. Some guests noted that they had rented the rooms on a daily or hourly basis.
The man admitted under caution that he was the sole proprietor of the premises and that the guesthouse license application was refused as the premises could not fulfil the licensing requirements.
Records of the OLA indicated that the premises did not possess a certificate of exemption or a license as required under Section 5(2) of the HAGAO on the day of inspection. The man was subsequently charged with contravening the ordinance.
A department spokesman stressed that unlicensed guesthouses would not be tolerated. He appealed to the public to report unlicensed guesthouses to the OLA at 2881 7498.
Ends/Friday, November 23, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:00
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